Content Vocabulary

1. Content Vocabulary • mental illness • phobia • obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) • post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) • depression • bipolar disorder • schizophrenia • eating disorders • addiction

2. When emotional problems interfere with daily life, this may be a sign of mental illness. Disorders of thought, emotion, or behavior that cause distress and reduce a person’s ability to function

3. Identifying Mental and Emotional Problems • Mental and emotional problems vary in severity and duration. They can have a variety of causes.

4. Identifying Mental and Emotional Problems A problem severe enough to interfere with daily life requires professional help. Mental illness can stem from heredity, physical causes, and environmental factors, such as poverty and stress. Mental illness is not a character flaw.

5. Anxiety Disorders • Anxiety disorders can be severe and disabling.

6. Anxiety Disorders Ordinary anxiety is temporary and relatively mild. Anxiety disorders last at least six months and can become worse without treatment. People with an anxiety disorder experience anxiety most or all of the time.

7. Phobias People with a phobia may go to extreme lengths to avoid the thing they fear. People can develop phobias linked to all sorts of things. Anxiety Disorders phobia An extreme, irrational fear of an object or situation

8. Social Anxiety Social anxiety, or social phobia, is extreme fear or anxiety in the presence of other people. Social phobia is different from ordinary shyness. It is so extreme that it makes people unable to enjoy social activities. Therapy or medication can help people with a social phobia. Anxiety Disorders

9. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder People with obsessive-compulsive disorder have repeated, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) that lead them to develop patterns of behavior (compulsions) that can interfere with daily life. Anxiety Disorders obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) An uncontrollable fixation on specific thoughts and behaviors

10. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder People with post-traumatic stress disorder often have flashbacks due to events such as war, terrorist attacks, bombings, serious accidents, violent crime, natural disasters, and abuse. Anxiety Disorders post-traumatic stress disorder A serious stress reaction in response to a terrifying event

11. Panic Disorder People with panic disorder experience sudden, unexplained attacks of terror. Physical symptoms include: pounding heart, shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness, and sometimes chest pain. Panic disorder is disabling but can be treated with medication or therapy. Anxiety Disorders

12. Mood Disorders • Mood disorders, such as depression and bipolar disorder, involve extremes of emotion.

13. Emotional highs and lows are normal. When emotional highs and lows are extreme and interfere with daily life, a mood disorder may be the cause. Two mood disorders are depression and bipolar disorder. Mood Disorders

14. Depression Although everyone feels sadness at times, depression is a more serious condition. Depression affects one out of ten people each year. Mood Disorders depression A persistent feeling of apathy, hopelessness, or despair

15. Depression Some symptoms of depression include: Persistent feeling of sadness, anxiety, or emptiness and thoughts of death or suicide. Difficulty concentrating. Lack of energy and feelings of indifference. Withdrawal from family and friends. Mood Disorders

16. Depression People who experience symptoms of depression for more than a couple of weeks should seek professional help. Depression can be treated with a combination of talk therapy and medication. Mood Disorders

17. Bipolar Disorder Bipolar disorder is also known as manic-depressive disorder. Mood Disorders bipolar disorder Extreme highs and lows of emotion

18. Bipolar Disorder People with bipolar disorder bounce back and forth between depression and an emotional high known as mania. The manic phase is a phase of high energy. The sufferer sleeps less and does everything at top-speed. Mood Disorders

19. Bipolar Disorder The moods of a person suffering from bipolar disorder swing from euphoric happiness to extreme irritability or aggression without warning. Medication can help calm the unstable moods of bipolar disorder. Mood Disorders

20. Other Disorders • Disorders such as schizophrenia, eating disorders, and substance abuse are mental illnesses that require professional help.

21. Other Disorders • Other mental health disorders fall outside of the categories of anxiety disorders and mood disorders. These disorders include: • Schizophrenia • Eating disorders • Substance abuse

22. Schizophrenia People with schizophrenia often have hallucinations. Other Disorders schizophrenia A severe mental disorder that causes people to lose touch with reality

23. Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is partly hereditary. Abnormal brain chemistry plays a role in the disease as well. Medication can relieve the symptoms, but cannot cure the disease. Other Disorders

24. Eating Disorders Major types of eating disorders include: Anorexia nervosa Bulimia nervosa Binge eating disorder Other Disorders eating disorders Extreme, unhealthy eating habits, often related to an obsession with weight or appearance

25. Eating Disorders People with anorexia nervosa: Starve themselves or exercise excessively to avoid gaining weight. See themselves as overweight, even if they are extremely thin. Other Disorders

26. Eating Disorders Those who suffer from bulimia nervosa: Eat large amounts of food (binge) and then rid their bodies of the food by vomiting or taking laxatives (purge). Other Disorders

27. Eating Disorders Those who suffer from binge eating disorder: Regularly go on eating binges, but do not purge afterwards. Other Disorders

28. Eating Disorders Eating disorders can lead to serious health problems. Eating disorders are treated by a team of health professionals, including medical doctors, mental health professionals, and dieticians. Other Disorders

29. Addiction A person who abuses drugs or alcohol may not be addicted to these substances. However, continued abuse can lead to addiction. Behaviors, such as gambling, can also be addicting. Other Disorders addiction Psychological dependence on a particular substance, habit, or behavior

30. Section Review: Reviewing the Vocabulary • Mental illness is __________. mental illness Disorders of thought, emotion, or behavior that cause distress and reduce a person’s ability to function

31. Section Review: Reviewing the Vocabulary • A persistent feeling of apathy, hopelessness, or despair is called __________. depression A persistent feeling of apathy, hopelessness, or despair